Altitude meter



Patented June 6, 1922.

Ei'llltll:

em -i are stares FATE ALTITUDE METER.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1 tented June 6, 1922.

Application filed November 20, 1918. Serial No. 263,323.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ANDREW HARILA, residing at Park City, in the county of Summit and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Altitude Meter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an altitude meter or apparatus to indicate distance from the earth. H

Generally the invention aims to provide an improved, simple, inexpensive and elilicient construction.

A. prime object is to so construct the apparatus that it will elliciently function re gardless oi the position of the body upon which it is mounted or by which it is carried, for instance,;-an airship.

Another important object is to provide a device for the purpose mentioned having indicating means. operable by atmospheric air pressure, and preferably being in the nature of an liGIfll'lGtlU casing having rubber or other elastic portions to control the movement oi the indicating means. Also if aim to provide protecting means for the elastic portions, and the otherwise detailed. construction illustrated in accompanyingdrawing and described hereinafter. I

01 one preferred embodiment, as illustrated in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line of Figure 2; a

Figure at is a transverse sectional view through the apparatus on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and I Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of one of the struts or supporting rods for the casing.

In carrying out the invention, a suitable form of casing is provided. However, as shown in the drawings, it is preferably shallow, and rectangular, although it may be of any other desired configuration. Said casing or box may have a front wall 6, a rear wall. 7, a bottom wall 8 and a top wall 9, integral with each other, but of course may be made separate if desired. Any suitable material may be used. These walls are preferably vulcanized or hard rubber and rigid. The casing also has side walls 10 and. 11. These walls are also preferably made of rubber, but in this instance, are elastic, so as to be capable of movement into the dotted line position shown in Fig.3. Since the remainder of the casing is made of hard rubber, these Walls 10 and 11, may be vulcanized thereto, so that the casing may be hermetic.

The structure is preferably braced by diagonal struts or rods 12 which have at each .end, an anchor or arm 13, to be embedded in the hardrubber oi the casing, at the junction of walls 8 and 9 and 10 and 11 shown in Fig. 3. These struts cross each other, and at their centers, are provided with aligned eyelets 14. A removable bolt 15 extends through the eyelets 141- and also through an eyelet 16, of a pointer 17, in order to pivotally mount said pointer. Means provided whereby the pointer 17 will be moved according to the elastic movement of the walls 10 and 11. To this end, links 18 and 19., are pivoted to the pointer 17 as at 20, one being pivoted above the pivot 16 while the other is pivoted below it. Any suitable means may connect the rods 18 and 19 to the walls 10 and 11, for instance sockets 21 of hard or vulcanized rubber, vulcanized to the walls 10 and 11, and pivotally mounting balls 22 into which the links 18 and19 may screw or otherwise fasten.

I (lo-operating withthe pointer 17, at the arrow .18 thereof, is an arcuate dial 23, fastened in any suitable manner and for in stance having its terminals 24, bent and clinched around the struts 12. Suitableindications are delineated upon the dial as shown, to indicate distance in feet, from the earth. I

. In order that the meter may be read, that is the relative position the arrow and the dial 23 observed, a suitable window is provided in the front wall 6, being closed by a transparent panel 25, which maybe a magnifying glass. 1 i

In order-to, rigidity the structure, and

guard the walls 10 andll, suitable guard walls or plates 26, are formed integrally with the casi1'1g,'being spaced from the walls 10 and 11, by connecting portions 27. In order that the air may effectively reach the elastic walls 10 and 11, said guard walls 26 are preferably foraminous or perforated, as shown.

It will be understood, that the walls of the casing, namely 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, are hermetically connected together, and that the joint between the panel 25 and wall 6 is also hermetic. Thus all of the operating parts or indicating mechanism are maintained within an hermetic closure.

in operation, say the device is carried by airship or otherwise elevated to 8,060 feet from the earth. lin such an instance, the pointer 17 will be in the position shown in Fig. 23' and the elastic walls 10 and 11 will be in the position also shownat said figure, or at rest, with the pressure within the easing equal to the atmospheric pressure. As the apparatus varies its height, the elastic walls 10 and 11 will yield as suggested by the dotted lines in Fig. 3,accordingly shift ing the links 18 and 19 and the pointer 17 on its pivot 16 and to the proper indication on the dial 23. Since the device depen s upon the atmospheric pressure, it does not necessarily have to be held in any certain position, and accordingly will under all conditions, efiectually function.

Since merely the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the details of construction, material and sizes of the parts may be varied within its spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An indicator of the class described having a hermetically closed casing, elastic side walls, indicating mechanism mounted on the casing, means connecting said elastic walls to said indicating mechanism, and guarding means rigid with the casing covering said elastic walls. i

2. An indicator of the class described having a hermetically closed casing, bracing rods tor-"the casing, indicating mechanism mounted on said rods, said casing having yielding-to-pressure side walls, and operating means connected to the indicator and yielding-to-pressure walls to show the force exerted on said yieldingwalls.

An indicator of the class described having a hermetcially closed casing, bracing rods for the casing, indicating mechanism mounted on said rods, said casing having yieldable parts, andfoperating means connected to the indicator and yieldable parts, said rods being disposed in crossed relation and at their ends being secured to the casing.

4-. An indicator of the class described having a hermetically closed casing, bracing means for the casing, a pointer mounted on the bracing means, a scale plate with which the pointer cooperates, said casing having movable side walls, and links movable by said walls, said links being movably connected to the indicator.

5. An indicator of the class described having a hermetically closed casing, a pointer within the casing, a scale with which the pointer cooperates, said casing having yieldable side walls, socket members secured to the walls, balls mounted in thesocket members, and links extending from the balls, said links being movably connected to the indicator.

6. An indicator of the class described having a hermetically sealed casing, bracing means for the casing comprising intersecting rods, a pointer pivoted to the rods at their junction, a dial secured to the rods at a distance from the junction, said pointer being movable, and means associated with the pointer to impart movement thereto.

7. An indicator of the class described having a hermetically sealed casing, said casing having yieldable walls, bracing means for the casing, indicating means within the cats ing having a pointer member, said member being pivoted to the bracing means, and links extending from said walls, said links being pivoted to the pointer member on 0pposite sides of its pivot.

8. An indicator of the class described having a hermetically sealed casing, elastic walls for said casing, said casing being made oi? rubber, said walls also being made of rubber and vulcanized thereto, guard walls integral with the casing to protect the said elastic walls, brace rods within the casing diposed in crossed relation and having anchors embedded in the casing at their ends, a pointer member pivoted to said rods at their junction, a dial associated with said pointer member connected to the rods ata distance from said junction, sockets secured to said elastic walls, balls mounted in said sockets, links extending from said balls, and means pivoting said links to the pointer member on opposite sides of its pivot.

In testimony whereof, I have aliixed my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

ANDREXV HARILA.

WVitnesses:

T. A. RADDON,

LA PAGE RAnDoN. 

